The Price to Pay
by Baleful Eyes
Summary: The memory that had long haunted Cullen comes back to meet him face-to-face. Cullen then learns of the grave price which came with his position of Knight-Commander of Kirkwall.


"Knight-Commander Cullen," said the newest templar recruit, Lucas, "James captured an apostate."

"Is that so?" said Cullen, the new head of the templars ever since Meredith had been defeated by Hawke. "I'll remember that. Continue with the procedures."

"Well, the apostate is acting rather strange," Lucas explained. "When James told her to step down or he would be forced to resort to violence, she said that he would regret it if he captured her, but he took her anyway. All she said was, 'This should be interesting', and then went with him willingly. She even let him take her staff.  
>"Now she's refusing to do as we ask, and she's making outrageous claims. The other mages seem to be inspired by her. I know there aren't many mages left, but we fear that there may be a revolt of some sort if this continues. She keeps lying about who she is and is making up stories. We can't silence her, a-and threats don't seem to be working. She doesn't fear the Gallows at all like the other mages. She believes she can protect herself."<p>

Cullen sighed. Another rowdy mage. But claiming strange things and lying about her identity? That was new. He'd never met a mage like that, even in Ferelden.

"I'll make sure she settles down," he assured the walked out of Templar Hall and into the Gallows courtyard. They could hear James, a rather loud and angry man (even for a templar), shouting at someone.

"I told you: come with me!"

The woman across from him wore a hooded cloak that hid her face. Cullen couldn't hear the her response, for she was much quieter. She wasn't whispering, she just spoke very softly. James, however, was as loud as ever. The templar kept shouting, to no avail, until she'd had it with him.

"That is enough," she said, in a louder voice that was still very soft, and frankly, quite familiar. "I told you who I am, and now I am leaving." The woman turned and began to walk toward the exit of the Gallows, and the few mages that were left stared on in both wonder and horror.

James grabbed the woman's hand, and she stopped, only to release herself from his grip and continue walking. She stopped and put her hand out, and, as if by instinct, the staff James was holding slipped out of his hand and into hers.

"You _bitch_," James spat.

Cullen had seen enough. This woman would stay as she was supposed to, and either cooperate or become Tranquil. "By order of the Templar, I command you to stop."

To the surprise of some of the onlooking templars and mages, the woman came to a hault.

"And who are you supposed to be?"

"I am Knight-Commander Cullen, head of the Kirkwall Templars," he answered, not intimidated in the least.

"Is that so?" the woman said with a small chuckle. "I suppose they'll make anyone Knight-Commander nowadays, won't they?"

Cullen knew better than to be angered by the mage's comments.

"Gregoir and the First Enchanter weren't very pleased, Cullen," the woman said.

Cullen went pale, feeling as though all the life had been drained from him. Both templars and mages stared at him curiously, wondering what it is that the woman had said or done to make him act that way.

"Blood magic?" came a whispered suggestion. That wasn't it. He knew who this woman was; he knew _exactly_ who she was.

The woman took off her hood, and she turned to look Cullen in the eyes. "I thought you'd gone insane," said the woman, Solona Amell.

She looked exactly as he remembered. Pale skin, and shoulder length, fiery red hair, with bright blue eyes that seemed to stare right through you.

She was managing to stay so calm. Though she always had, no matter what the situation was. He knew why she acted that way, what Solona Amell had done before entering the Circle. She had done nothing; nothing but live. Everyone in Kirkwall knew the story of the Amells. They were an important family in Kirkwall, but after Revka Amell bore a child with magical ability and the child was not immediately turned into the templars, everything changed. The family was shunned. Revka's father, a templar named Aristide who was being considered for the position of viscount, obviously didn't get the position. Solona was taken away afterward, and sent to the tower in Ferelden. Her family had no luck after that.

She had disgraced her family name, and she knew it. She had to live with that guilt, and it ate away at her heart until she had to find new purpose. She had somehow managed to move on. She embraced being a mage, and she tried her hardest to master her talent. She was so strong. It was one of the reasons why Cullen had fallen in love with her all those years ago. She had been so much stronger than him, but that was then, and this was now.

The templars and mages were staring at Cullen, no doubt wondering why Solona had suggested that he had gone crazy. After Meredith, they no doubt wanted to keep crazy people _out _ of the order.

"Knight-Commander, what is she talking about?" one templar asked.

"All of the Knight-Commanders are going insane, aren't they?" he heard one person whisper.

This wasn't good. If they found out why he had been sent to Kirkwall, they'd probably take away his position. Gregoir knew Cullen hated mages and that he found them all dangerous after the events with Uldred had taken place. He'd tried to convince the Knight-Commander to have the First Enchanter _killed_. The Knight-Commander eventually began to worry that Cullen would crack, and possibly harm some of the mages. He'd sent Cullen to Kirkwall, where he knew Meredith would approve of his methods more than Gregoir. Cullen had heard that there were rumors that he'd killed some apprentices, and then escaped prison and headed to Kirkwall.

He knew Solona wouldn't believe rumors, but she had seen him in the Tower, accidentally confessing his love to her and thinking she was an illusion, and accusing the First Enchanter of being an abomination. Accusing the First Enchanter of being a maleficar is what Meredith had done, and if the others found out, they would likely accuse him of being crazy. Unknowingly confessing his love to a mage, well, that was just stupid. Not to mention forbidden.

"Nothing of your concern," Cullen said to the templar.

"Knight-Commander," the templar pressed, "what did you _do?_"

They weren't going to let this go, were they? No, so what would he do now? Tell the truth? It seemed that was the only thing _to_ do.

"Nothing," Solona said before Cullen could speak up, pausing to smile sadly at him. "All you templars seem mad to me."

She was about to the exit the Gallows, and several templars began to approach her, ready to use any means necessary to keep her there.

"Stop," Cullen ordered, "that's the Commander of the Grey Wardens. I'm sure the Wardens, along with Ferelden, wouldn't be very pleased if we take her."

The templars stopped dead in their tracks, their eyes widening. No doubt Solona had told them this already, and this was one of the "ridiculous claims" she had made.

"She's the one who stopped the Blight," he heard someone whisper. "The Hero of Ferelden!"

Solona then headed out the gates, but stopped midway, her hands clenched into fists, and, not bothering to look back, she said, "Nothing comes without a price, Cullen."

Then she was gone. Solona Amell was gone. Again. Cullen was Knight-Commander now, head of the Templar of Kirkwall. All it had cost him was the woman he that's when he knew she was right: _everything_ comes with a price.


End file.
